Cowboys rookie Church has a thick skin to go along with playmaking ability

OXNARD, Calif. – If the deciding factor in making an NFL roster was the ability to take a joke, undrafted rookie Barry Church would already be a lock for the Dallas Cowboys.

Church’s teammates have been all over him ever since San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers took him down in the Cowboys’ 16-14 preseason win over the Chargers last weekend.

After scooping up a Darren Sproles’ fumble forced by linebacker Bradie James in the second quarter, Church appeared headed for an easy touchdown. But after running out of gas around midfield, the former Toledo standout had nothing left to elude the hard-nosed Rivers.

Even fellow undrafted safety Danny McCray took a shot at Church while the two walked off the field at the end of practice Tuesday.

“We saw (37-year-old backup quarterback Jon) Kitna walking in front of us, and I was like, ‘Hey, you know he would have caught you, huh? He would pass you up just like Rivers passed you up,’ ” McCray said.

Said Kitna, “I think I’ve got better moves than Church does. I know that. I would have scored. He’s impressive. I like that kid. When we talked about it out here last week, he keeps making plays in practice too.”